About Us

At Steady-On we place huge emphasis on the quality of our pieces. Structurally, our work is strong and sound, and visually our work is tidy and unpretentious, hinting at traditional crafts as well as 20th century modernism. These considerations will ensure our products remain loved well into the future.

Practicality defines the work at Steady-On. Shelving can be modular, units look good front and back, and drawers can be removed so the spaces can function as cubby holes; the drawers even look posh enough to have on show. These are things designed for the way you're living right now, as well as years down the line.

We go to great effort to make our pieces as robust as possible, and we also care about making them repairable. Where you might normally find chipboard and veneers we aim to use solid wood and easily repairable finishes. Joinery is either rock solid, or easily mended by us or any local craftsman. In essence, you should be happy to let your Steady-On pieces get a few war-wounds without them being having to be put in the firewood pile.

We've been working with wood since the beginning of 2007, absorbing years worth of knowledge from old books and website articles, and putting it into practise with high quality bespoke cabinetmaking and carpentry.

In the future we hope to bring a range of pieces for sale on this site, as well as continuing to try and find the perfect storage solution for all the offcuts we can't bear to throw away.

FAQ

Where can I see your work in real life? We currently have some work on show at our studio in Brighton, which is at the Rodhus Gallery on Hollingdean Road. It is generally open during the week, though we aren't always around. If you'd like an appointment to meet us feel free to drop us a line and we can come and say hello and make you a cup of tea. Have a look at the map on our contact page.

Are all your products really 'handmade'? Well now, we use many noisy and frightening machines in our workshop, as well as hand tools, and both are used with skill and finesse. We're still happy with the description of 'handmade', though, as our workshop is a world away from the kind of mass-production situations you'll get in far-flung factories around the globe. We check everything that comes out of our workshop to make sure it's up to scratch and, crucially, nobody is getting a raw deal - customers and workers alike.

Who is 'we'? We are, for the most part, Tom in his workshop, with help from merry and not-so-merry helpers when needed. Tom shares his workshop at Rodhus with two other furniture makers and an audio technology renegade.

Haven't I seen you somewhere before? Maybe. Tom used to run the another bespoke furniture-making business under the name 'Tom Robinson Furniture' before a slight change of direction, to concentrate on Steady-On.

I like this thing you've made, but I'd prefer it slightly longer and maybe in a different wood and with a donk on it... Can you do that? Of course! We offer a bespoke service. This means we can alter an existing design for you, or even design a completely new piece which is totally unique. Have a look at our Custom Made page to learn a bit more about this.

I have this vague product idea I'd like to start selling... Can you help bring it to life? Absolutely. We offer a design consultancy and prototyping service where we'll sit down with you and turn your sketches and thoughts into a proper real life thing, ready for a photoshoot (maybe in the upstairs photography studio?). We can design based on small production runs (which we can do in-house), or larger scale manufacturing.